Reilly plan provides review of Michigan’s administrative rules

State Rep. John Reilly is spearheading a bipartisan effort to eliminate unnecessary regulations that hurt residents and small businesses in Michigan.

Reilly, of Oakland Township, said Michigan’s Administrative Code has grown into an overly complex set of regulations, making it difficult for people to stay in compliance with the law.

“Burdensome regulations complicate people’s lives and discourage businesses from creating new jobs,” Reilly said. “We must do more to eliminate or simplify the many regulations that result in confusion, unnecessary expenses and inefficiencies.”

Reilly said the administrative rule-making process is intended to allow state departments to fine-tune the details of state policy within the structure provided by the Legislature. These regulations comprise the Michigan Administrative Code, and they are the only kind of state regulations that carry the force of law without being expressly enacted in a statute.

Reilly’s solution would require the Legislature to eventually review all administrative rules issued by state agencies.

“The administrative rules process was never intended to take authority away from the legislative branch and give it to unelected bureaucrats,” Reilly said. “This plan will ensure all regulations are thoroughly reviewed, just like the laws enacted by the Legislature.”

The proposal would spark a 10-year review of Michigan’s 770 existing sets of rules, which are authored by executive agencies. Rules would expire after 10 years unless enacted into statute or given a seven-year extension, and all future rules would expire after seven years unless required by federal law or under a state law that specifies otherwise.

“Before the code gets any more unwieldy, we must carefully examine each and every regulation and evaluate whether it is warranted,” Reilly said.

House Bill 4458 was introduced today and referred to the House Regulatory Reform Committee for consideration.